Vanessa is a radio astronomer based at CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency,
working at the boundaries between astronomy, telescope operations and data science. She
oversees science operations for the innovative new ASKAP telescope, coordinating
astronomical observations from specification to the arrival of the data at the Pawsey
Supercomputing Centre. Prior to her current position, she worked overseas at ASTRON
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy in research and telescope operations and at the
University of Sydney as a CAASTRO postdoctoral fellow. Vanessa has extensive experience
in big data analysis/visualisation, automation of complex systems and science
communication across numerous contexts. In 2020, she chaired a CSIRO-hosted
symposium on "The Future of Meetings", which was an entirely virtual cross-disciplinary
conference to explore best practice for professional and social interaction. Since then, she
and the TFOM community have provided advice/support in a number of contexts, including
the IUPAP International Conference for Women in Physics and EMCR Forum Science
Pathways among many others. She is a strong advocate of a digital-first approach and for
the process of optimising all interactions by maximising accessibility, inclusivity and
sustainability. Vanessa is also passionate about ensuring effective career structures for
EMCRs, building stronger relationships and development opportunities between
academia/industry, and providing equitable and flexible paths across academia.